| |
While we are getting closer to reducing our dependency on foreign oil and gas, until the majority of cars and consumers are dependent on alternative fuels, the cost may be prohibitive. Still, the news is exciting, and technology is advancing. In the following paragraphs, we'll look at some of the gasoline alternatives currently available.
Electricity
While at first glance it may seem like electric cars would solve the problem of high gasoline prices and pollution, there is more to be considered. Even the popular electric cars of today, like the Smart Car Fortwo, also run on gasoline. While there are some electric cars that run solely on electricity, these vehicles are classified as neighborhood electric cars. What this means is they cannot be driven on highways; in fact, they only go 25 miles per hour and are only allowed on streets where the posted speed limit is 35 MPH or below. Still, this type of car is great for gated communities or universities.
The Smart Car Fortwo, so named because it only seats two people, costs between $11,990 and $20,990, depending on the model and is so small that two of them can fit into one standard size parking place. The car has a maximum speed of 90 miles per hour, which is fine for most people. The Smart Car gets 33 miles per gallon in the city and 41 on the highway and has a gas tank that holds 8.7 gallons. With that kind of gas mileage, consumers could get a much bigger car instead of one that only seats two people with just a little room left for groceries.
Safety is an issue too. In an April 2009 report, crash tests conducted on the Smart Car Fortwo revealed that at only 40 MPH, the Smart Car went airborne in a head-on collision. The tests, conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, disclosed likelihood for head and leg injuries in this type of crash. Hopefully, as the technology advances, electric cars will become bigger, safer, and able to be operated solely on electricity. Like the neighborhood electric vehicles, cars that run solely on electricity have no tailpipe emissions and are far more environmentally friendly and cheaper to operate. Once the technology in the neighborhood vehicles is able to operate cars on the highway, we may see a drastic difference in the purchase of gasoline alternatives. Until then, careful thought is required before purchasing this type of vehicle.
Hybrid vehicles, which run on gasoline and electricity, are far more fuel efficient, as they get anywhere from 40 to 70 miles per gallon. They are more expensive than conventional vehicles, and there is some argument about whether or not the savings in gasoline costs will make up the difference. Still, for those who are concerned about gasoline emissions and protecting the environment, they are an attractive option.
Ethanol
Ethanol is a popular gasoline alternative that shows a lot of promise. Ethanol is made with corn and may someday go a long way toward reducing the amount of oil and gas we use. Although it can also be produced from sugar cane, and is in some countries, corn is the more popular choice. For some time now, a gasoline-ethanol mixture, called gasohol has been available in some parts of the United States. It is also referred to as E10, meaning the combination is made up of 10% ethanol and 90% gasoline. Another mixture, E85, which is comprised of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline, is available in some parts of the country, but this mixture can only be used in flex fuel vehicles.
Of course, special fueling stations are required for E85, and more are being built all the time. As of 2008, there were more than 1600 E85 Fueling Stations, and this number is growing rapidly. They are located in almost every state in the United States, and you can easily see where the closest one to you is by following the above link.
The biggest downside to using ethanol as one of the gasoline alternatives is that it is expensive to produce. That, coupled with the fact that you have to buy a different vehicle, means that it won't be immediately available to everyone; however, ethanol does hold a lot of promise. For example, since it is produced in the United States, it holds an excellent chance to reduce or someday eliminate our dependence on foreign oil. It's certainly environmentally friendly, producing far less pollution. It's slightly more expensive to use, because it gets fewer miles to the gallon than gasoline does, but the added expense is not prohibitive. All in all, there is a lot of hope on the horizon for ethanol to be widely used as an alternative to gasoline.
Natural Gas
Natural Gas is another one of the promising gasoline alternatives. Since almost 87% of the natural gas the United States uses is produced here, it may also help lower our dependence on foreign production. As with ethanol, cars that run on natural gas have to be designed to do so, which means that most of us can't suddenly start using this alternative fuel right away either. Unlike ethanol, there are far fewer cars produced that use natural gas, so unless this fuel alternative becomes more popular, it may be a while before it becomes a mainstream alternative fuel.
Natural gas is considered to be one of the most "clean" alternative fuels, producing far less emissions than gasoline. It is also less expensive than gasoline, although cars that run on natural gas do get fewer miles to the gallon than cars that run on gasoline. Although it does show promise for the future, at present, it is not as readily available as gasoline or ethanol; however, as more and more research is conducted on gasoline alternatives, dual-fuel vehicles, and flex-fuel vehicles, we can feel confident that the day will come when cars that run solely on gasoline will be in the minority.
|
Travel: 
